University of Houston Downtown Director of the Testing Center Po-Chu Leung discuses new GED curriculum with student worker Juan Lopez on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, in Houston. ( J. Patric Schneider / For the ... more

Photo: J. Patric Schneider, Freelance

GED woes

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Success or failure on the high school equivalency exam makes a big difference in the lives of many Texans. So it's important that the test be fair and appropriate. Pearson's General Education Development test - the GED - is the only high school equivalency exam offered in Texas.

Recently, this test, revamped in 2014, has come under fire for being too costly and too difficult ("GED exam under fire," Page B5, July 15). A sharp drop in the number of test-takers since the 2014 change highlights the fact that something may be amiss. The number of test-takers spiked in 2013, but in 2014 around 22,000 fewer people took the test in Texas than in 2012. To put this in perspective, that drop in the number of people taking the test is about the size of Angleton's population.

State officials must halt this trend. No one supports a diminution in the standards of the high school equivalency exam. Employers and community colleges need to be able to count on the exam to measure a certain level of proficiency. But a high school diploma is a key to finding a living-wage job and advancing in a career or up the academic ladder, and the State Board of Education cannot allow the test itself to erect artificial barriers in the path of individuals who would otherwise be qualified to earn this important certification.

A little healthy competition in the testing field is needed. Members of the board made progress this month when they voted to develop proposals from other vendors besides Pearson, the British education firm that developed the GED Testing Service in a joint venture with the nonprofit American Council on Education. Two other education corporations, ETS and CTB/McGraw-Hill, offer alternative exams that have been adopted in other states, including Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico.

Pearson's GED doesn't allow paper-based test-takers, and some research suggests that a computerized version of the test discourages test-takers who lack computer skills. The 2014 test represented about a 70 percent cost increase, according to Chandra Villanueva at the nonprofit Center for Public Policy Priorities. The other tests remain less expensive than Pearson's.

If the cost of the test serves to discourage test-takers, the board ought to develop a comprehensive strategy to make the test more affordable.

There are some challenges to moving away from the GED test. Many employers are familiar with its name and are unsure of the value of alternative tests. If another vendor proves acceptable, the board should take care to educate employers that the value of the equivalency certificate is the same even if the exam taken to earn it is different. A passing student will still earn a state-issued high school equivalency certificate.

We can't afford any sacred cows. Our state ranked 50th in the nation for its high rate of adults age 18 to 64 who lack a high school diploma or its equivalent in 2012. Our public officials should not countenance a monopoly in this testing arena that affects the lives of so many Texans.